![]() From The Mars Hotel (1974) [ larger cover art ] |
As I was walkin' 'round Grosvenor Square
Not a chill to the winter but a nip to the air,
From the other direction, she was calling my eye,
It could be an illusion, but I might as well try, might as well try.
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes.
And I knew without askin' she was into the blues.
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls,
I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls.
In the thick of the evening when the dealing got rough,
She was too pat to open and too cool to bluff.
As I picked up my matches and was closing the door,
I had one of those flashes I'd been there before, been there before.
Well, I ain't often right but I've never been wrong.
It seldom turns out the way it does in this song.
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Well there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves,
Or scarlet begonias or a touch of the blues.
And there's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes,
I had to learn the hard way-i had to let her pass by, let her pass by
Wind in the willow's playin' "Tea for Two";
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band.
| bam23 (Berkeley) | Posted: Feb 13, 2013 - 13:47 Nerubo wrote: So I have this theory that bands need to take the right amount of drugs to be good. No drugs, you get horrible pop. Too many drugs, you get this. Sorry dude. Too clever by 1/4. You think this particular album cut shows the negative influence of drugs? Which? How? Maybe the fact that they put up with Donna Jean's caterwauling could serve as evidence. However, this was such a bright and sparkly song live, that your "theory" fails the falsification test. |
| oldsaxon (Wales via Vancouver, BC.) | Posted: Nov 11, 2012 - 11:51 pass the bong? Love the Dead...always wanted to see a show but never did....if there are regrets in my life (and I'd argue there are very, very few) it would be that I never saw the dead live. |
| TuneAgeWhereWoof | Posted: Nov 11, 2012 - 11:49 Nice one! Thanks Sieversfam... for those who get it. :) sieversfam wrote: This may change your mind (on what the song can be, not the studio track).Check out the 5/8/77 Dead show (Cornell University). Scarlet Begonias—->The Fire on the Mountain 25 minute masterpiece is life-changing. Gotta crank this one up though. http://archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.sbd.hicks.4982.sbeok.shnf Track 13. |
| sieversfam | Posted: Jul 08, 2012 - 16:03 Byronape wrote: I don't hate this song. But, like my dad always said... "Even a blind cow sometimes finds an acorn." fyi, acorns are toxic for most animals and will kill a cow if they eat more then one or two. This may change your mind (on what the song can be, not the studio track).Check out the 5/8/77 Dead show (Cornell University). Scarlet Begonias—->The Fire on the Mountain 25 minute masterpiece is life-changing. Gotta crank this one up though. http://archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.sbd.hicks.4982.sbeok.shnf Track 13. |
| drfeeleygood | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:53 Nerubo wrote: So I have this theory that bands need to take the right amount of drugs to be good. No drugs, you get horrible pop. Too many drugs, you get this. I have a similar theory. Great musicians fall off when they do one or all of these: 1. Go clean and sober 2. Fall in love 3. Find Jesus. |
| whtahtefcuk (Flagstaff, AZ, USA) | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:49 Groogrux69 wrote: Great song. I just saw Jackie Green do an excellent cover of this a few weeks ago. Jackie Green is Cool! |
| d-don (Oregon) | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:49 I will borrow from the Romeo lexicon: Everybody in my classroom be twirlin'... |
| whtahtefcuk (Flagstaff, AZ, USA) | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:49 Hell Ya... What a cool album!!! |
| black321 (Perigee) | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:47 Nerubo wrote: So I have this theory that bands need to take the right amount of drugs to be good. No drugs, you get horrible pop. Too many drugs, you get this.
So the more the better! |
| terrapin52 (Terrapin Station, TX) | Posted: Apr 04, 2012 - 11:46 Definitely one of my favorite songs. Any song with Donna screaming is gold! Thank you for playing this kind, kind song!! |
| creekgirl | Posted: Mar 03, 2012 - 19:33 one of my favorite Dead songs......thank you!!! |
| LizK (Houston, Texas) | Posted: Mar 03, 2012 - 19:31 RP has made me become aware of much I had not paid nearly enough attention. I'm making up for it - am now researching replacement car receivers - with hd satellite. Thank you RP! ![]() |
| Byronape ("post-capitalist wreckageville") | Posted: Feb 01, 2012 - 03:04 HearsayDave wrote: One of the best Dead songs... To me, that's saying that losing the ring finger is better than losing a thumb. |
| Nerubo (Denver, CO) | Posted: Dec 31, 2011 - 08:36 So I have this theory that bands need to take the right amount of drugs to be good. No drugs, you get horrible pop. Too many drugs, you get this. |
| d-don (Oregon) | Posted: Nov 29, 2011 - 14:59 Once in a while you get shown the light In the strangest of places if you look at it right. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Nov 29, 2011 - 14:48 Everybody in my hotel room be dancing... time flies when we're having fun... love it... |
| Groogrux69 (Auburn, CA) | Posted: Sep 27, 2011 - 07:26 Great song. I just saw Jackie Green do an excellent cover of this a few weeks ago. |
| Byronape (Snorkeling in the River Styx) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 00:21 I don't hate this song. But, like my dad always said... "Even a blind cow sometimes finds an acorn." fyi, acorns are toxic for most animals and will kill a cow if they eat more then one or two. |
| Mita | Posted: Jul 26, 2011 - 13:13 More Dead on RP!!! |
| Mugro (My body is in Dubai, my heart is in Red Sox Nation) | Posted: Jun 25, 2011 - 01:21 ![]() |
| scraig (Santa Barbara, CA) | Posted: May 24, 2011 - 10:04 Wow, I thought I didn't like the Dead. Guess I need to rethink that. 8. |
| SuzG (at my desk) | Posted: May 24, 2011 - 09:59 ![]() |
| coding_to_music (Beantown) | Posted: May 24, 2011 - 09:57 Donna... http://donnajeangodchauxband.info |
| HearsayDave (Biavia with the Biaviians) | Posted: May 08, 2011 - 09:30 One of the best Dead songs ... and even better live |
| Weblizard | Posted: Apr 06, 2011 - 18:10 Studying for a civil service exam I'm taking tomorrow- nice happy-brain-break! |
| mcklein18 | Posted: Mar 22, 2011 - 07:42 This really is the last Dead tune I can tolerate...so that is another RP compliment....always pickin' the best songs, even bands I don't like anymore......long live RP |
| Dave_Mack (5.7 miles from a better place) | Posted: Mar 22, 2011 - 07:34 I dig this one. Uptempo songs were always welcome at Dead shows. So often they'd get bogged down and not get going for quite a while. This is such a happy sound. |
| Sleepytyme (Left Coast, California) | Posted: Feb 02, 2011 - 23:05 johnjconn wrote: Any one want do a bong? |
| JasonfromFrance | Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 12:49 I love the Dead! Every time I hear those guitar licks it makes me reminisce about those California hills. You make me dance, all the way from France! |
| scrubbrush | Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 12:45 Hooray for hippies!!! |
| PA1749 (Jim Thorpe, PA) | Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 12:43 Love it! My favorite Dead tune! Thank you Robert Hunter (my favorite band member) |
| johnjconn (chicago land) | Posted: Nov 16, 2010 - 12:43 Any one want do a bong? |
| Mugro (My body is in Dubai, my heart is in Red Sox Nation) | Posted: Oct 31, 2010 - 08:47 Cynaera wrote: I'm in the mood for this one... Evening, wind coming up, a late-summer storm blowing in, and I have marinated chicken thighs broiling in the oven. Cats are fat and happy, dogs are content, I have the checkbook balanced. Yep - perfect time for some Dead... ![]() ![]() |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Oct 31, 2010 - 08:46 Cynaera wrote: I'm in the mood for this one... Evening, wind coming up, a late-summer storm blowing in, and I have marinated chicken thighs broiling in the oven. Cats are fat and happy, dogs are content, I have the checkbook balanced. Yep - perfect time for some Dead... ![]() Time to start dancing... time flies when we're having fun... love it... |
| gatorade (Ocean Park, WA) | Posted: Oct 15, 2010 - 20:32 Rings on her fingers And bells on her shoes |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Aug 28, 2010 - 17:08 I'm in the mood for this one... Evening, wind coming up, a late-summer storm blowing in, and I have marinated chicken thighs broiling in the oven. Cats are fat and happy, dogs are content, I have the checkbook balanced. Yep - perfect time for some Dead... ![]() |
| Delawhere | Posted: Jul 27, 2010 - 17:22 they kind of look like poppies, hmmm Dgradeworkunit wrote: They're scarlet all right... but they ain't begonias. |
| lodian (Marquette, MI) | Posted: Jun 10, 2010 - 07:14 Great summer time music. |
| Dgradeworkunit (Shenandoah Valley) | Posted: May 09, 2010 - 13:27 They're scarlet all right... but they ain't begonias. |
| More_Cowbell (Northern IL) | Posted: Apr 23, 2010 - 07:10 ![]() |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Apr 07, 2010 - 20:16 We danced... |
| peacockangel (Phoenix) | Posted: Mar 22, 2010 - 16:30 I knew without askin she was into the blues... |
| LongGoneDaddy | Posted: Dec 18, 2009 - 06:49 ch83575 wrote: I am not a huge Donna fan in general, but some Dead songs just aren't the same without the random wailing in the background... or sometimes the foreground for that matter. I believe this is one of those songs. yeah, I gotcha on that...it becomes part of the soundscape...at least it's not as bad as Bobby on Estimated!! "well I ain't often right but I never been wrong...seldom turns out the way it does in the song!" |
| parttime (Kona Hawaii) | Posted: Nov 16, 2009 - 21:13 z11355 wrote: englishtown, NJ was a GREAT show, I remember the madness of rushing to the stage @ 2AM :) :) Anyone remember the actual Mars Hotel as it existed in SF only to be torn down in the 70's ? A friend of a friend made sure to take us when I was there. Oh yeah, and smoked a dube there too! |
| coy (san antonio) | Posted: Nov 16, 2009 - 21:12 i like the caterwalin oh the word not the singing |
| ch83575 | Posted: Nov 01, 2009 - 12:52 Captn_Pea wrote: With Donna dieing at the end of this one I think I found one more tune for my Halloween mix. I am not a huge Donna fan in general, but some Dead songs just aren't the same without the random wailing in the background... or sometimes the foreground for that matter. I believe this is one of those songs. |
| LongGoneDaddy | Posted: Oct 16, 2009 - 10:12 Captn_Pea wrote: With Donna dieing at the end of this one I think I found one more tune for my Halloween mix. yeah, no doubt! Would love to hear the studio version with the caterwalling edited out! |
| Captn_Pea (Spring Lake, MI) | Posted: Oct 16, 2009 - 10:09 With Donna dieing at the end of this one I think I found one more tune for my Halloween mix. |
| df1489 (Lake Palestine, Tyler Tx) | Posted: Sep 14, 2009 - 20:50 peter_james_bond wrote: Bye bye, don't forget not to write. You'll find mainstream radio doesn't play those artists you mention. Enjoy the commercials Attaboy...! |
| z11355 | Posted: Aug 30, 2009 - 11:09 englishtown, NJ was a GREAT show, I remember the madness of rushing to the stage @ 2AM :) :) Anyone remember the actual Mars Hotel as it existed in SF only to be torn down in the 70's ? A friend of a friend made sure to take us when I was there. |





